


and the bargain must be made

by nevershootamockingbird



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Everyone Is Alive, F/F, F/M, Families of Choice, Future Fic, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, No Spoilers, Resurrection, Resurrection Aftermath, mentions of canon-typical violence, technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-22
Updated: 2018-05-22
Packaged: 2019-05-10 02:37:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14728361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevershootamockingbird/pseuds/nevershootamockingbird
Summary: "Mollymauk, you died," Caleb spits out, almost before the question is done, his voice shaking as badly as his hands. Molly freezes, watches as his partner swallows hard, eyes blinking rapidly and not meeting his own. He licks his lips before continuing, "You died, and we had to finish that awful fight before we could get to you, and we didn't know-- we didn't know if it would work. We didn't know if we could bring you back.""Caleb, I'm right here," he offers, hand slowly reaching out to rest on the man's arm. Caleb's face crumples at the touch, and he brings his own hand up to cover his eyes. Mollymauk shifts over, closes the gap between them, slowly presses against his side and wraps an arm around his thin shoulders. "Darling, I'm alive.""You weren't, though, Molly, you weren't," he says, voice thick with unshed tears. He shakes his head, leaning more heavily into Molly's embrace as he continues, "You were in the mud, bleeding out and not breathing, gone."





	and the bargain must be made

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically canon compliant, but there are no spoilers! You don't need to be caught up on the series to read this, I promise. This is set sometime in the future of The Mighty Nein's adventures
> 
> This spiraled a bit out of my control, but I am very happy with how it turned out. I really enjoyed writing it, hopefully you enjoy reading even half as much!
> 
> Resurrections are important, but the aftermath is much more interesting, and I am a sucker for writing found family dynamics.

The first thing he notices upon waking is that he _aches_ , sharply and deeply and everywhere.

Molly keeps his eyes shut as he comes further to consciousness, careful not to breathe too deeply-- he's fairly certain some ribs are bruised, if not broken, and he doesn't fancy aggravating them any further. Slowly, slowly, he takes stock of what he can tell: stitches tugging at the skin on his right hip, bandage wrapped tightly around his lower abdomen under his shirt, his pants rubbing against scrapes along his legs, that bone-deep ache reaching everywhere. He takes another shallow breath as he rolls onto his back, only to immediately lose it at the sharp pain dancing down his spine like lightning, bright and sudden. He tries to breathe through it, taking another breath through gritted teeth, curses bubbling up in his throat.

"You should not be moving right now," someone says next to him, voice tight and accent heavy, and Molly exhales in a choked laugh, relieved beyond words as he opens his eyes to see Caleb curled to his right. The man's shoulders are hunched and his back is against the wall, book lying open in his lap, and he looks like he hasn't slept, dark circles under his eyes. His knuckles are white, and Molly has a fleeting thought that he might rip the damn thing apart, he's holding on so tightly.

He looks terrified, and Molly is only vaguely aware of the smile crossing his own face as he relaxes back into the bed.

"What are you smiling about?" Caleb asks, brow furrowing, fear creeping into his voice. His grip finally loosens on the book, tossing it carelessly aside before reaching out, hesitating just short of touching Molly. "Are you alright, Molly? Do I need to get Jester?"

"I'm fine, don't worry," Molly says, maybe a little too carelessly. Caleb barks out a laugh that is anything but humorous, finally resting a gentle hand between his horns; Molly is alarmed to find that he's trembling. He reaches up, bites back a groan at the dull pain sliding through his muscles, and cups Caleb's cheek, thumb stroking over his heavy scruff. "I'm smiling because you're here, that's all."

Caleb flushes bright, twisting his head to kiss Molly's palm, swallowing hard. The trembling is still there, but Molly is pleased that it's lessened somewhat, pleased that Caleb's other hand finally settles lightly on his sternum. He turns his face back towards Molly after another moment but doesn't meet his gaze, staring somewhere near his left shoulder as he quietly says, "Please don't do that again."

"Do what?" Mollymauk asks, pulling his hand away and bracing his elbow on the bed, groaning as he starts to push up to sit. Caleb makes a distressed sound in the back of his throat, immediately leaning forward to wrap an arm around the tiefling's shoulders.

"Molly--" Caleb stops himself when Molly shakes his head, and he clenches his jaw tightly but still carefully, slowly helps Mollymauk sit back against the headboard. Molly is panting by the time they're done, sagging back against the wood in relief, but he still reaches out to Caleb, ignoring the various aches throbbing in his body as he catches his sleeve and tugs.

"Come here, please," he requests, a little breathless with pain and discomfort, but he smiles sweetly and Caleb, looking stubborn and unwilling, immediately softens. He nods, uncrosses his legs and moves to sit next to Molly, not quite touching. Molly sighs, looks over to study his profile as he asks, "No touch right now, or are you just too nervous that you'll break me?"

"Mollymauk, you _died_ ," Caleb spits out, almost before the question is done, his voice shaking almost as badly as his hands. Molly freezes, watches as his partner swallows hard, eyes blinking rapidly and not meeting his own. He licks his lips before continuing, "You died, and we had to finish that awful fight before we could get to you, and we didn't know-- we didn't know if it would work. We didn't know if we could bring you back."

"Caleb, I'm right here," he offers, hand slowly reaching out to rest on the man's arm. Caleb's face crumples at the touch, and he brings his own hand up to cover his eyes. Mollymauk shifts over, closes the gap between them, slowly presses against his side and wraps an arm around his thin shoulders. "Darling, I'm alive."

"You weren't, though, Molly, you weren't," he says, voice thick with unshed tears. He shakes his head, leaning more heavily into Molly's embrace as he continues, "You were in the mud, bleeding out and not breathing, gone."

"I got in front of Beau," Molly says quietly, the memory creeping in like another bad dream; the wargs, the sorcerer, a shout and a black flash. He inhales sharply, fear wrapping around his lungs like a vice. It chokes him, makes his voice come out strained as he asks, "Caleb-- Caleb, is she alright? Is everyone else okay?"

"Yes." Caleb nods, swallowing hard as he drops his hand away from his face finally, letting it settle gingerly on Molly's thigh instead. He looks over but not up, his gaze focused somewhere around Molly's collarbone when he says, "Everyone else is-- well, worried about you, of course, but we're fine. We're alive. You were not. Please, don’t do that again."

Silence settles over them, then, heavy like a blanket, and Molly presses his mouth to Caleb's temple, leaves it there when the other man leans into the touch. He hums something nonsensical, trying to soothe them both-- he isn’t particularly upset over dying, again, but he is rather worried about the impact it may have had on his family. Caleb’s shaking stops, after a little while, and the silence is a little less stilted once he starts rubbing his thumb against Molly’s thigh, deliberate circles that calm them both further.

“I can’t promise that,” he finally murmurs against Caleb’s skin, squeezing him gently. Caleb’s thumb stills but he doesn’t move, just gives a tired sigh and nods.

“I know,” he says back just as softly, and Molly’s heart aches again at the resigned note to it. Caleb lifts his head carefully, presses a gentle kiss to the corner of Molly’s mouth. “I shouldn’t have asked it of you. None of us can make that promise, can we?”

“No, dear, we can’t.” Molly smiles, small and gentle, and he’s relieved to see Caleb’s lips curling up slightly in answer. “How long was I out for? If you’re alright to talk about it, I’m curious. Feeling a bit disoriented right now.”

Caleb sighs and presses another kiss to his mouth before tipping his head back against the headboard. He squeezes Molly’s thigh gently, free hand settling on his stomach; some of the tension has returned to his body, and Molly can’t have that, reaches out with his tail to curl it gently around Caleb’s waist, pierced tip tapping against the back of his hand. Caleb lets out a soft laugh, muscles loosening again.

“I’m sorry you’re the one taking care of me, right now,” he says, apologetic, and Molly lets out a huff, shaking his head.

“Nothing to be sorry for, darling.” Caleb smiles a little when he says it, and Molly settles in further, content to wait for his lover to speak. The wizard’s eyes shut, mouth moving without sound as he gathers his thoughts.

“You died just before sunset, last night, quarter till seven,” Caleb finally says, eyes staying shut. He traces carefully over Mollymauk’s tail, fingers sliding over skin and metal gently as he continues, “Jester started the resurrection two minutes later, and you began to breathe again at seven forty-seven. It was ten thirty-four when you woke up this morning.”

“You think I’d feel a bit better for that long of a nap,” Molly teases gently, relieved when Caleb lets out a quiet huff of a laugh and curls his fingers loosely around Molly’s tail.  Molly hums, smoothing his free hand down Caleb’s other arm to tangle their fingers together over his thigh. “The resurrection itself, was it hard?”

“No,” Caleb answers quietly, eyes finally opening to look at the wall across from them. “Well, that isn’t entirely accurate. The spell is complicated, and it is very unreliable. But the decisions we made, they were not hard.”

Mollymauk hums acknowledgement, but Caleb offers no further information and so Molly will not press. He squeezes his partner’s hand instead, letting the quiet settle back over them. He has some impressions, anyway, almost-memories slipping back into his mind: Jester wailing, pleading to the Traveler in Common and Infernal alike; Yasha, shadows clinging, Celestial chants and prayer; Caleb, murmuring under his breath, hollow and determined; Beauregard, bloody and sobbing, her hands shaking violently; Nott and Fjord sitting nearby, faces drawn, passing her flask back and forth.

He isn’t sure whether he’s glad or not that he does not know the words spoken, does not know what was given for him to come back, but it doesn't matter. What’s done is done, and Molly is just glad to be alive, again.

“Just how many lives do you think I have, anyway?” He asks without meaning to, shutting his eyes briefly when Caleb slowly turns his head and stares. Mollymauk smiles apologetically as he meets his gaze, squeezing his hand. “Sorry, just a thought. Wonder if I’m a bit like your familiar, hm?”

“Let’s not test that theory, ja?” Caleb says faintly, still meeting his gaze. Molly nods meekly before leaning in slowly, both telegraphing his movements and trying his best not to cause any additional pain to his battered body. Caleb’s eyes drop down to his mouth, and he meets Mollymuak for a gentle kiss, letting go of his tail to reach up and cup his jaw instead. They part after a moment, resting their foreheads together; Caleb’s eyes are still shut when Molly looks, but he smiles anyway, knows his partner will be able to feel the movement under his hand.

Molly is content to stay like this a while longer, counting the freckles scattered over Caleb's face, keeping his breathing in time with the rise and fall of Caleb's shoulders, taking comfort in the easy quiet lingering between them. The aches dull the longer he stays still, but he knows they'll be lingering over the next few days; he's alive, though, so he'll happily live with them. Caleb shifts eventually, eyes sliding open to stare over Mollly's shoulder, unfocused and unseeing. He murmurs something under his breath, and Mollymauk frowns, waits for him to meet his gaze.

"Everything alright, dear?" He asks, unease swirling in his stomach, but it's soothed as soon as Caleb nods, soft smile sliding over his face.

"Just Nott sending a message. She wanted to know if you were awake," the other man tells him, squeezing his hand gently. "Everything is good, now."

"Good. Where is she, anyway? All of them, actually." Molly frowns as he talks, looking around the room slowly. There are a few mugs on the side tables, Nott's pack haphazardly shoved under the other bed. The sheets are a mess, but he doubts it was actually slept in; he doubts most of them really slept long last night.

"Nott is outside, below the window. She went out, wanted to find you something nice," Caleb explains, and that soft smile is still on his face when Molly turns back to look at him again. "We've all been coping differently. Fjord and Jester went with her, needed to get out of here for a little. They've been gone about an hour now, so I suppose they found what they wanted."

"Understandable," Molly says automatically, ignores the sudden pang behind his ribs that has nothing to do with his injuries. "Are Yasha and Beau out, too?"

"I believe they are still in the other room," Caleb tells him, shrugging carefully as to not dislodge Molly's arm. He squeezes the tiefling's hand as he continues, "Beauregard was asleep when I checked in earlier. Yasha said they went out last night after we brought you back, came back late."

Molly hums acknowledgement, leaning in to press a firm kiss to Caleb's mouth before tipping his head back against the headboard, exhaling slowly as he stares up at the ceiling. He tightens his tail around Caleb's waist, feels the man's hand fall back down to stroke over it gently.

"I'll go check on them after the others come in then." Caleb snorts at his words, and Molly feels his eyebrows shoot up, looks over curiously. There's a resigned expression on the human's face, mouth twisted unhappily.

"You should rest more," he says, running his knuckles over Molly's tail again. "I know I can't make you, but you should."

"I'll be fine, love," Molly says, squeezing Caleb closer, ignoring the discomfort in his muscles. Caleb looks mutinous, opens his mouth to say something else, but swallows the words back when the door to their room opens with a crash.

"Molly! You're awake, finally!" Jester's cheerful voice is undershot with genuine relief, and when Molly turns to look her smile is wide but he can see the worry in her eyes. She drags Fjord in by the hand, Nott kicking the door shut behind them before she darts between their legs, something clutched in her hands. "How are you feeling? That was pretty scary, last night."

"Right as rain, dear. And I think I'm rather in your debt, for that fact," he tells her, gently untangling his fingers from Caleb’s and reaching out to her. Jester sits on the edge of the mattress, letting go of Fjord's hand before carefully sliding her arms around Molly's waist, pulling him in for an unusually gentle hug.

"Don't be stupid! You don't owe any of us anything, especially not me." The words are firm, almost vicious, and Molly huffs a laugh as he nods, wrapping his arm around her shoulders to tug her in closer. Jester sniffles before muttering under her breath, and there's a sudden rush of divine energy sweeping through him, alleviating some of the sharper pains. Molly lets out a sigh, eyes sliding shut as he lets the other tiefling take more of his weight, pulling his other arm carefully from Caleb's shoulder and wrapping it around Jester's back.

" _Thank you_ ," he murmurs in Infernal, opening his eyes as he twists his head to kiss her temple, mindful to keep their horns from catching. Jester sniffles again and slides her hands up his back, fingers twitching like she wants to do more. " _Save it, Jester, I'll be fine. Thank you._ "

" _You are very welcome, Molly. Thank you for coming back_." Molly kisses her temple again before loosening his arms, and despite the almost-tears he could hear in her voice, Jester is smiling when she pulls back. She switches back to Common when she tells him, "Try not to do that again for a little, okay? Man, what a spell! Useful, sure, but I didn't like having to do it very much."

"I'll do my best," Molly grins, settling one of his hands onto Caleb's thighs. Fjord steps forward, then, curling a hand over Jester's shoulder, and his smile is genuine but there are bags under his eyes, a wildness lingering that makes Molly feel uneasy at the thought of what he might have tried had the spell not worked.

"Please see that you do," the half-orc says, relaxing a little more when Jester reaches a hand up to cover his. Fjord takes a moment to look over Molly closely, nodding at whatever he sees when their gazes meet again. "We were real fuckin' worried, Molly. Sure as hell glad to see you up again."

“It’s very good to be up. Trust me, I’m in no rush to repeat the experience,” Molly assures them, and it’s nice to see the two lighten a little more, nice see their smiles grow less worried and more sincere. Nott’s scampered up onto the bed while they’ve been talking, made a space for herself and crouched between his and Caleb’s legs, a small bundle of cloth clasped between her hands. She stares, unblinking and unwavering, ears twitching where they lay back against her hair.

“Found what you wanted, Nott?” Caleb asks, reaching out to gently squeeze her shoulder. She nods, still watching Molly, but her ears twitch again, slowly tilting forward though they stay downturned. Jester claps her hands together, grinning widely.

“It’s so pretty! Show him, Nott, he’s going to love it,” Jester urges, her tail whipping forward to flick against Molly’s arm before sliding off the bed, wrapping around one of Fjord’s legs. Nott finally breaks her gaze from Molly, looking at Caleb first, then Fjord and Jester, waiting for all to nod before she finally looks back at him.

“It reminded me of you.” Nott shuffles closer, holding her hands out, fingers slowly uncurling. The cloth is fine quality, and Molly is surprised at how much furls out of the the goblin’s small hands, blues and silvers and purples threading together to make an intricate pattern.

“Nott, this is lovely. Thank you,” Mollymauk says as he takes, grinning widely at his friend. He starts to unfold it further, and she lets out a high, startled sound, her hands flying forward.

“Careful! There’s something inside,” Nott says, her claws tapping and skittering against the backs of his hands as she tries to stop their movement. Molly raises an eyebrow, looking down at the scarf and carefully plucking the material away from whatever it’s been wrapped around. He inhales sharply when the ring is revealed on the scarf, moonstone set in silver, two small opals on either side. He lays the scarf down carefully over his lap before picking the ring up, twisting it slowly to watch the light catch and play off the gems. There’s a sudden change of weight on the bed, and he shifts his focus to see that Nott has finally sat down, legs sprawled out in front of her, fingers twisting together. She flattens her ears back again as she asks, voice small, “Do you like it?”

“Like it? Nott, it’s gorgeous, I love it.” He can’t keep the smile off his face as he talks, and he’s already twisting one of his rings off, middle finger on the left hand, sliding the new one on and flexing his hand out in front of him. Nott beams when she sees how it fits, her ears relaxing and swiveling forward. “Would you look at that? It’s made for me!”

“Not really, but the lady wearing it was really mean to Jester! Very grumpy,” Nott tells him, nodding firmly, and Molly laughs, reaches out to tousle her hair gently. “It definitely looks better on you than her. I did buy you the scarf, though! Didn’t steal that one.”

“I’m touched, Nott, thank you very much,” he says, smiling warmly when she nods again, tension leaving her body as her grin stays in place. Molly drops his hand from her hair to grab one of her hands, flipping it palm up and dropping his own ring into it. “Here, for you to keep. You can pretend you stole it, if it helps.”

Nott’s fingers close around the jewelry as she shakes her head, smile softening. She brushes his hand off gently before sliding the ring onto her thumb, twisting it until the engraving is in a pattern to her liking.

“Nah, like it better this way.” She grins up at him, then, wide and toothy, before looking over at Fjord and Jester, head tilting to the side. “Were you going to go back out again?”

“Yes, we are going to go shop some more!” Jester stands as she speaks, hands smoothing down over her skirt. Fjord sighs and shakes his head, reaching down to gently prod Jester’s tail off his thigh before taking a step towards the door. “Did you want to come with us, Nott?"

“No, thanks. I’m fine here.” Fjord nods at her words, smiling before sighing again and scrubbing a hand over the back of his head. He drops his arm around Jester’s shoulder, ducking to press a kiss to her temple.

“We really need to hit that magical goods shop we passed, we’re clear out of health potions now.” Jester frowns at his words, and Molly laughs as Fjord’s resolve visibly breaks, rueful grin crossing the half-orc’s face even as his shoulders slump. “C’mon, Jess, we can stop by the general store to get you some ink, too.”

“Okay! Glad you are feeling better, Molly, please still be alive when we’re back.” She spins back around, kissing Molly’s cheek before grabbing Fjord by the hand and pulling him towards the door, calling over her shoulder, “Bye Nott! Bye Caleb! Try not to have too much fun without us!”

Fjord still hasn’t caught his balance by the time Jester’s thrown open the door, and Molly has to laugh at the swears they can hear as the two make their way back down the hall. He looks back down at the scarf in his lap, picking it up and carefully draping it around his neck, enjoying the slide of it against his skin. Out of the corner of his gaze he sees Caleb staring at his hands as he adjusts it, a faint flush at the tips of his ears; Molly grins, making a mental note to use the present a little differently when they have the time, and when he’s a bit healthier.

“I’m going to go check on Beau and Yasha, I think, stretch my legs a bit,” he tells Caleb and Nott, smiling over at them both. Nott nods sagely, but Caleb just frowns slightly, eyes narrowing. Molly sighs, leaning over to press a gentle kiss to his cheek before carefully twisting and sliding off the bed, unwrapping his tail from the other man’s waist. “I’ll be fine, sweetheart, it’s just across the hall. Besides, Jester helped immensely, I’m already feeling better.”

“You’re sure?” Caleb asks, and Molly softens at the heavy worry in his partner’s voice. He turns to smile down at the man, nodding and reaching out to smooth a hand over his head. Caleb leans into the affection, and he doesn’t look that much assured but he does relax under the touch; Molly will take it.

“Promise, I’ll be just fine. Back before you know it, I just want to check in,” he reassures, leaning down slowly to kiss Caleb’s temple, steadying himself with his other hand on the mattress. He straightens carefully, pleased when no sharp pains make themselves known. Molly doesn’t bother with shoes, slowly passing through the door left open by their friends; he can hear shifting on the bed behind him, low murmurs, and doesn’t have to look back to know that Nott has probably curled into Caleb’s side, the two doing their best to soothe each other. He pulls the door nearly shut behind himself, wanting to give them some privacy, before taking the few steps across the hall. Molly leans his forehead against the worn wood, his tail tapping out a familiar beat against the door.

There’s quiet for a long moment, and he wonders if maybe Yasha is asleep, too, before he hears rustling, quiet footsteps growing closer, and he has just enough presence of mind to pull his weight back before the door opens. Yasha reaches out as he falls back in, gathering him into her arms as he presses his forehead against her shoulder, and it’s a relief to be held so firmly, hugging her back as tightly as he can.

“Molly,” she breathes out, relaxing even as she hugs him closer, being so careful it brings tears to his eyes. Molly tries to press closer, wraps his tail around one of her legs, inhaling as deeply as he can without sending himself into a coughing fit just to fill his nose with the comforting smell of ozone and wildflowers. It is a long while before Yahsa finally lifts her head, smiling warmly at him. Molly grins at her, leaning in to kiss her cheek before settling back onto his heels.

“Beau?” He makes sure to keep his voice quiet, slowly sliding his tail off her leg as she steps back, pulling him into the room with her. Yasha shakes her head, smile fading.

“Still asleep,” she tells him softly, carefully shutting the door behind him. Molly’s surprised, then, when he looks over at the bed and sees two pairs of eyes just barely open, tracking his movements as he walks further into the room.

“Not anymore,” Beau croaks, pushing up to sit on the mattress, blankets pooling at her hips. Frumpkin curls back into her lap once she’s stopped moving, eyes shutting again. “You two aren’t as quiet as you think.”

“Sorry,” Yahsa offers, running a hand down Molly’s arm before walking over to the bed, putting a knee on the mattress as she ducks down. There’s a quiet conversation between the two women, but Molly doesn’t try to listen in, just waits them out. Beau presses a gentle kiss to Yasha’s mouth after a moment, leaning into the other woman’s hand when she cups her cheek, and then Yasha is straightening back up, planting both feet on the floor before turning to walk back towards Molly. She stops next to him, curling a gentle hand around the side of his neck as she tells him, “I’ll be downstairs, you both need food.”

“Thank you, dear.” He presses into the kiss she brushes against his cheek, and then she’s gone, Molly waiting to hear the door close behind her before walking forward, stopping just shy of the bed. “Mind if I sit, unpleasant one?”

Beau snorts, ducking her head and looping an arm under Frumpkin’s belly, hauling the cat up against her chest as she scoots back to lean against the wall. There’s a smile on her face, but Molly can’t parse the emotions behind it.

“Knock yourself out, obnoxious one.” She pats the space next to her, settling Frumpkin back in her lap before smoothing both hands over his fur. Molly crawls onto the bed, elegance be damned, sitting close enough that their thighs press together and he just has to move his hand over a little to let Frumpkin bump against his palm, purring loudly. “You’re finally awake. Feeling okay?”

“More or less,” he tells her, looking up from the Frumpkin to try and catch her gaze. Beau, ever stubborn, keeps her eyes fixed down on where they’re petting the cat. This close he can see a fresh cut on her cheek, and swelling on her jaw, scrapes littered over her knuckles. There are also bruises on her biceps, on her hips where her waistband has slid down, but-- well, Molly isn’t worried about the marks his friends leave on each other. He nudges his shoulder against hers, voice soft as he asks, “Are you alright, Beau?”

“Me? Are you fucking kidding me?” She finally meets his gaze, eyes narrowing as she sneers. “You fucking _died_ , and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”

“Yes,” Molly says evenly, holding her gaze. Beau exhales heavily through her nose, jaw clenching, but she doesn’t shake him off when he moves his hand from Fumpkin’s head to her wrist. “I died, in front of you, and you’re sitting in front of me now, fresh from a fight or two. So, yes, Beau, I’m asking if you’re alright.”

She laughs, but it’s a bitter thing, ripped from her throat as she tips her head back. Molly keeps his hand on her arm, curling his fingers loosely around the delicate bones. Her eyes are wet when she looks back at him, and Molly sighs heavily, drapes his tail over her shins.

“You fucker,” Beau spits out, voice wobbling, “you knew what was gonna happen. Why in the hells did you do that?”

“Because I love you,” Molly tells her firmly, squeezing her wrist gently. Beau exhales around a sob, tears rolling down her cheeks, and he pushes on, keeping her gaze, “You’re my family, dear, and I wasn’t going to let you die, not if I could stop it.”

He squeezes her wrist again, rubbing his thumb lightly against her pulse, and then Beau breaks, curling forward as she begins to sob in earnest. Frumpkin lets out a plaintive sound, butting his head up under her chin, and Molly begins to hum soothingly, stroking his free hand over her spine heavily. It’s some minutes before Beau’s breaths begin to calm into sniffles and hiccups, but Molly just keeps rubbing her back, other hand still curled loosely around his friend’s wrist. He relaxes when her pulse begins to slow under his fingers, finally letting go when Beau sits halfway up, scrubbing at her face with her fists.

“Better?” He asks gently, hand stilling to splay between her shoulder blades. Frumpkin begins to purr quietly, tail twitching as he stares up at them, and Molly slides his free hand over the cat’s head, gently scratching. Beau nods, sniffling again before glancing away, still hunched over.

“Yeah,” she croaks out, wincing and swallowing hard. She drops both hands back to settle on Frumpkin’s back, but she keeps staring out the window, at the clouds passing over the sun.

It would be a nice day for a funeral, Molly thinks, but he keeps that to himself.

“I’d do it again,” he tells her instead, because it’s true and she needs to hear it, or maybe he needs to say it. Beau turns back to look at him finally, and the tears are gone but there is still sorrow on her face, a resigned knowledge in her eyes. Molly smiles gently, slides his hand over until his arm is looped around her shoulders. “I would, and I will, if I have to. I’m sorry you’re hurting, but I won’t apologize for what I did.”

“Yeah, well, you wouldn’t be you if you did, huh?” Beau asks, finally cracking a smile, and it’s small but it’s genuine, and Molly is so relieved that he has to laugh. The monk sighs, leaning more heavily into his side as she begins to pet Frumpkin slowly. “Sorry, for yelling. Kinda blamed myself about it, got really fuckin’ mad.”

“It’s alright, I understand. If you ever do that for me, I’ll be pissed,” Molly tells her, squeezing her gently. Beau huffs out a laugh, shaking her head.

“Yeah, well, I will if it keeps you from going down again.” Her words are firm, final, and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she means this. He sighs, squeezes her again and smiles crookedly in her direction.

“I know. It’s who we are.” Beau hums agreement, and they lapse into silence, comfortable and familiar, Frumpkin’s low purr the only sound in the room. Molly rests his cheek against her head when it finally drops to his shoulder, staring out the window as the storm rolls in. There’s a distant rumble of thunder, though no rain appears yet, and he hopes fiercely that Yasha won’t be called away anytime soon.

He rather thinks his little family’s suffered enough loss for a long, long time.

Molly is unsure how they stay like that, but it’s long enough for Beau’s breathing to slow, long enough for him to become drowsy, eyes fighting to stay open. The door swings open before he can slip fully into unconsciousness, and he tightens his arm around Beau before he realizes that it’s just Yasha on the threshold, a tray balanced carefully in her hands.

“Everything okay?” She greets them, waiting for their nods before walking in. Molly hears the door across the hall creak open and then shut, and then Caleb and Nott are slipping into the room behind Yasha, Caleb closing the door after them. “Good. Thought it was time for food, maybe a little more company.”

“You thought correctly, as always, dear,” Molly tells her, grinning widely. He slides his arm off Beau’s shoulder but doesn’t pull away, taking the tray from Yasha when she’s close enough and setting it on his lap. Beau scoops Frumpkin up when the cat tries to inspect the food, passing him over to Yasha with a wink. Nott scrambles onto the bed next to Beau, tucking in tightly enough that Yasha can sit halfway up the mattress, while Caleb carefully sits on Molly’s other side, leaning in to brush a kiss to his cheek.

“Alright?” He asks quietly, as Beau and Nott begin to talk about something Nott had seen around town. Molly nods, twisting his head to catch Caleb’s mouth in a soft kiss. The other man is smiling when he pulls back, tension seeping out of his body.

“We’ll all be fine,” Molly tells him, leaning in for another kiss before settling back against the wall. He glances down at the food, picking up a sandwich to carefully tear in half before placing part into one of Beau’s gesturing hands. Yasha leans over to ask Caleb a question, cradling Frumpkin in her arms, and Molly shuts his eyes, lets the conversations wash over him.

Despite Jester’s spells, there are still aches in his body that he knows from experience only time will mend. The physical pains will fade, and the new scars will take place, and he’s sure there will be a time where no one is really willing to enter a fight less than fully prepared. But they are a family, and Molly knows with a dull sorrow that this is not the last time one will put their life on the line for another. He feels Caleb’s hand settle on his thigh, and smiles, eyes opening again as he begins to eat.

It’s still a nice day for a funeral, but he’s rather glad to not be part of one.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I really do hope that you enjoyed it. I made myself a bit emotional with it, but I just *clenches fist* really love writing those good good hurt/comfort scenes and heavy conversations. 
> 
> Apologies if any of this seems out of character, again it is set in the future so I tried my best to stay true to the characters and reflect growth that may happen (also, not actually quiet caught up yet on all episodes yet, just caught up with everyone's tweets, tumblr posts, art, etc). 
> 
> Title is a line from "What the Water Gave Me" by Florence + the Machine, because it popped up on spotify while I was writing and I really thought it just fit so well. 
> 
> Again, I appreciate you taking the time to read! You can find me over on [tumblr](https://nevershootamockingbird.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/daleytwin1) if you feel like yelling with me about these lovely characters :)


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